Advancing the Understanding of Adaptive Capacity of Social‐Ecological Systems to Absorb Climate Extremes

Earth's Future

Richard D. Bardgett¹  Michael Bahn²  Mariasilvia Giamberini³  Karlheinz Erb⁴  Sandra Lavorel⁵  Markus Reichstein⁶  Kirsten Thonicke⁷  Anja Rammig⁷  Björn Vollan⁸ 

[1] Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences The University of Manchester Manchester UK;Department of Ecology University of Innsbruck Innsbruck Austria;Institute of Geoscience and Earth Resources National Research Council (CNR) Pisa Italy;Institute of Social Ecology University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna Vienna Austria;Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, UMR 5553, CNRS‐Université Grenoble Alpes‐Université Savoie Mont‐Blanc Grenoble France;Max‐Planck‐Institute for Biogeochemistry Jena Germany;Research Department 1 “Earth System Analysis” Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Member of the Leibniz Association Potsdam Germany;School of Business and Economics Philipps‐Universität Marburg Marburg Germany;

关键词: climate extremes;    social‐ecological systems;    adaptation;    social‐ecological resilience;    disturbance;   

DOI  :  10.1029/2019EF001221

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Abstract Enhancing the capacity of social‐ecological systems (SES) to adapt to climate change is of crucial importance. While gradual climate change impacts have been the main focus of much recent research, much less is known about how SES are impacted by climate extremes and how they adapt. Here, based on an advanced conceptualization of social‐ecological resilience, performed by an interdisciplinary group of scientists, we outline three major challenges for operationalizing the resilience concept with particular focus on climate extremes. First, we discuss the necessary steps required to identify and measure relevant variables for capturing the full response spectrum of the coupled social and ecological components of SES. Second, we examine how climate extreme impacts on coupling flows in SES can be quantified by learning from past societal transitions or adaptations to climate extremes and resulting changes in ecosystem service supply. Last, we explore how to identify management options for maintaining and enhancing social‐ecological resilience under a changing regime of climate extremes. We conclude that multiple pathways within adaptation and mitigation strategies which enhance the adaptive capacity of SES to absorb climate extremes will open the way toward a sustainable future.

【 授权许可】

Unknown